Intricate Food Waste Teahouses

Many contemporary architects are experimenting with food waste materials as a means to provide eco-friendlier options to design. Most recently, the Tokyo-based practice Mitsubishi Jisho Design created an intricate and structurally interesting teahouse made entirely with food waste materials. The piece debuted during the Venice Architecture Biennale and as part of the Time Space Existence exhibition at the European Cultural Center. The exhibit is on until November 26th, 2023.

The food waste teahouse invites "visitors a place to experience a Japanese tea ceremony and reflect on how people connect following the Covid pandemic." Hence, there is a strong interactive and reflective component to Mitsubishi Jisho Design's project.

The food waste materials used for the construction of the teahouse include coffee grounds and discarded pasta. The structure is further supported by paper tubes and cork floor panels.

Image Credit: Yuta Sawamura